Archive for November, 2007
Everyone says that they want to eat local and organic and will maybe go on a “green” spree for a short time. But who really sticks to their original green game plan?
One woman and one man did - Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon.
Their book - Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally - documents the entire year-long experience.
Here’s a synposis:
Like many great adventures, the 100-mile diet began with a memorable feast. Stranded in their off-the-grid summer cottage in the Canadian wilderness with unexpected guests, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon turned to the land around them. They caught a trout, picked mushrooms, and mulled apples from an abandoned orchard with rose hips in wine. The meal was truly satisfying; every ingredient had a story, a direct line they could trace from the soil to their forks. The experience raised a question: Was it possible to eat this way in their everyday lives?
Back in the city, they began to research the origins of the items that stocked the shelves of their local supermarket. They were shocked to discover that a typical ingredient in a North American meal travels roughly the distance between Boulder, Colorado, and New York City before it reaches the plate. Like so many people, Smith and MacKinnon were trying to live more lightly on the planet; meanwhile, their “SUV diet” was producing greenhouse gases and smog at an unparalleled rate. So they decided on an experiment: For one year they would eat only food produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver home.
It wouldn’t be easy. Stepping outside the industrial food system, Smith and MacKinnon found themselves relying on World War II era cookbooks and maverick farmers who refused to play by the rules of a global economy. What began as a struggle slowly transformed into one of the deepest pleasures of their lives. For the first time they felt connected to the people and the places that sustain them.
For Smith and MacKinnon, the 100-mile diet became a journey whose destination was, simply, home. From the satisfaction of pulling their own crop of garlic out of the earth to pitched battles over canning tomatoes, Plenty is about eating locally and thinking globally.
The authors’ food-focused experiment questions globalization, monoculture, the oil economy, environmental collapse, and the tattering threads of community. Thought-provoking and inspiring, Plenty offers more than a way of eating. In the end, it’s a new way of looking at the world.
The two authors will be speakers at the Tri State Locally Grown Conference.
Just in case you’re not sold quite yet, here’s a review:
“This very human and often humorous adventure about two people eating food grown within a short distance of their home is surprising, delightful, and even shocking. If you’ve only talked about eating locally but never given yourself definitions — especially strict ones — to follow, I assure you that your farmers’ market will never again look the same. Nothing you eat will look the same! This inspiring and enlightening book will give you plenty to chew on.” Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets
November 30 2007 | Green Food | No Comments »
If you interested in being part of a sustainable local food system, this conference is for you.
WHO: Experts from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri (including Land Connection founder Terra Brockman) will share their research and experiences. Keynote speakers are Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, co-authors of Plenty, and originators of the 100-Mile Diet.
WHAT TO DO: Register at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/adamsbrown/ (Click on Locally Grown Conference) Registration is $25 per person, with a lunch featuring local foods included
WHEN: Registration deadline is Nov. 21.
For more information about Terra Brockman and how she started the Land Connection in Evanston, read how she challenges Chicagoans to dig in and eat local.
November 29 2007 | Green Food and Green Events | No Comments »
Energy saving is all the buzz this season. And just about every company has their own set of rules and suggestions for conserving.
Direct Energy, one of the largest North American providers of energy and energy-related services, is offering consumers tips on trimming their holiday energy usage, which can spike significantly during this festive time of year.
Direct Energy is recommending these measures to reduce usage and maximize efficiency during the holidays:
– Turn down the heat a few degrees. Doing so could save 10 percent on
heating bills. Reducing the heat before guests arrive makes sense, too,
because all their extra body heat will soon warm up the room.
— Dim the lights and have memorable holiday meals by candlelight. You
could even “go organic” and try soy candles.
— Decorate using LED bulbs, which have a rated life of 50,000 hours,
representing nearly 20 years of normal usage. That’s a bargain,
especially when compared with incandescent lights, which last just 600
to 1,000 hours.
— Wrap gifts with conservation in mind. If everyone wrapped just three
gifts in reused paper or fabric gift bags, it would save enough paper
to cover 45,000 ice hockey rinks.
— Don’t open the oven door to peek at what’s cooking. It can lower oven
temperatures as much as 25 degrees, which increases cooking time and
gobbles energy. Use the oven light and window instead.
— Remember your other cooking appliances when preparing a holiday meal.
Great for cooking or for heating up holiday dinner leftovers,
microwaves use about 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens.
— Use your dishwasher for cleanup. A dishwasher requires 37 percent less
water than washing dishes by hand.
— Buy miniature decorative lights, which use about 70 percent less energy
and last much longer than bigger bulbs. Connect them to an automatic
timer to reduce the chance of leaving your holiday lights burning all
night or while you’re away.
November 28 2007 | Green Lifestyle and Green Energy | No Comments »
City officials say Chicago is the alley capital of the world with the paved equivalent of five midsize airports. And with that title, come endless possibilities - to help the environment? Might seem a little weird, but according to a New York Times article featuring Chicago…it’s true.
The Windy City announced plans to green its 2,000 miles of alleyways by installing permeable ground coverings that will allow rainwater to seep back into the ground and replenish groundwater supplies.
The plan is called the Green Alley Initiative and could possibly be the most ambitious street makeover in U.S. history.
Susan Saulny summarizes the new system:
In a green alley, water is allowed to penetrate the soil through the pavement itself, which consists of the relatively new but little-used technology of permeable concrete or porous asphalt. Then the water, filtered through stone beds under the permeable surface layer, recharges the underground water table instead of ending up as polluted runoff in rivers and streams.
Revamping the way the city paves could help preserve one of Chicago’s most valued natural resources - Lake Michigan. But some people are skeptical of the refurbished alleyways in a city where people hardly recycle.
City officials say the city will have completed 46 green alleys by the end of the year.
Read the New York Times article for more coverage on the confident and skeptical people affected by the alleyway makeover.
November 27 2007 | Green Trends | No Comments »
Will the new recycling carts be rolled away just as Chicagoans were getting used to their benefits?
Since recycling helps the environment, cuts back on landfill waste and promotes a sustainable lifestyle, you would think cities would make it as easy as possible for businesses and residents. In Chicago, think again.
According to the Chicago Reader, city officials recently said they were willing to expand the bluecart program, but the verdict is out on whether the proposed expansion was incorporated in the new budget. Looks like the future of a greener city will come down to money the 2008 city budget and people are not reluctant to voice their opinions.
One blogger wrote:
If the plan is approved when the City Council votes on the 2008 budget ordinance Wednesday, the city’s source-separated recycling program, in which residents served by city garbage crews place all of their recyclables into blue containers in the alley, will be extended to an 131,000 additional households on top of the 81,000 already included. That would mean that about 30 percent of the 700,000 residences with city garbage service–all Chicago dwellings with four or fewer units, known as low-density residences–will be covered by the program.
In addition, The Chicago Tribune states, “If Daley is serious about going green, he should stop finding excuses to stick with the blue.”
The Chicago Sun Times weighs in with, “The city needs to deliver a recycling program that makes sense. It’s not rocket science — it should be easy being green. ”
You be the judge.
November 20 2007 | Green Lifestyle | No Comments »
Want to make your Thanksgiving a little more environmentally-friendly?
World Wildlife Fund offers some easy steps to make your celebration more sustainable:
1) Purchase locally grown, seasonal produce in the bulk bin. Locally produced products require less gasoline to ship to market — and usually taste fresher too. Local seasonal produce can include root crops such as potatoes, turnips, beets, rutabaga, parsnips, salsify, pumpkins and squash. Use bitter greens and hardy vegetables that are available in the fall, such as collards, kale and Brussels sprouts. They’re good for you and good for the planet. Look for them in the bulk bin to cut down on individual packaging waste.
2) Buy organic foods — turkeys, produce such as apples, celery, and many of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner trimmings are now available in organic version, usually better for the environment as they reduce the use of pesticides.
3) Shop online or order by phone and save the gas you’d burn driving from store to store. It saves the planet from exhaust emissions, which add to global warming.
4) Look for natural materials such as pinecones, dried leaves, Osage oranges, and other natural materials from your own backyard to make your holiday centerpiece.
5) Serve tap water instead of bottled at your holiday table and cut down on plastic bottles which will need to be discarded.
6) Purchase ingredients with a minimal amount of packaging around them. Cardboard and plastic packaging just ends up in the waste basket.
7) Serve wine sealed with a cork not a plastic stopper. Cork extraction is one of the most environmentally friendly harvesting methods, and cork production provides a sustainable livelihood for people in many parts of the world.
Although Thanksgiving is supposed to be a feast, don’t prepare more food than will be eaten. American’s throw out nearly 40 percent of their food. This year, encourage guests to clean their plates.
9) Remember — leftovers are half the fun! Find new and interesting ways to serve leftovers.
10) Share food with those that have less and invite people for Thanksgiving that don’t have anywhere else to go. Sustainable societies are built on sustainable agriculture and food systems but also sustainable communities — be part of one.
With these tips, the holidays can no longer be an excuse to flush your green lifestyle down the toilet.
November 20 2007 | Green Lifestyle and Green Food | No Comments »
People hear a lot of hype about saving energy by switching to CFL light bulbs. Does this small step really help? It’s seems easy enough.
Rebecca Smith answers this question and several others in a Wall Street Journal article. Her answers somehow makes going green seem less daunting.
Take a peek.
• I’D LIKE TO START SMALL. HOW MUCH ENERGY CAN YOU REALLY SAVE WITH LIGHT BULBS?
A lot. A 25-watt compact fluorescent produces about as much light as a 100-watt conventional bulb but uses only one-quarter of the electricity. Because of that, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average 25-watt compact fluorescent will save the equivalent of 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. That’s about as much as a car generates driving 93 miles, assuming it gets a typical 23.9 miles per gallon.
And compact fluorescents won’t cost you an arm and a leg. In California, for instance, utility rebates and volume discounts have driven down the cost of a four-pack of 25-watt compact fluorescents to about $2 — versus $40 or more for the 100-watt equivalents in 1999. Prices have gotten so low that some compact fluorescents pay for themselves in energy savings the first month.
• IT SEEMS LIKE MY REFRIGERATOR IS A BIG ENERGY HOG, BUT IT’S SUCH A COSTLY ITEM TO REPLACE. WHEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO BUY A NEW ONE, AND SHOULD I PAY EXTRA FOR AN ENERGY STAR MODEL?
First, let’s clear up a misperception. Compared with other household systems, refrigerators don’t use that much electricity. In fact, they account for only 8% of an average household’s annual electricity use, behind items such as water heating (13%). And they’re dwarfed by real hogs like climate-control systems (45%).
With that in mind, here’s a rough guide to replacing your fridge: If your unit was manufactured before 1993, it’s probably time to make the move. Today’s Energy Star models are twice as efficient as the average older unit, according to the EPA, and will make up for their higher initial cost within five years. In places where energy costs are high, they may completely pay for themselves in energy savings within 10 years. On average, you’ll likely save $40 to $90 annually in electricity bills.
Plus, a new unit that uses half the power of an older unit is responsible for about half the greenhouse-gas emissions. Of course, the actual environmental impact depends on where you live. States with a lot of coal-fired power plants have higher carbon-dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour of power consumed than states that rely more heavily on nuclear power, hydroelectricity or natural-gas-fired plants.
• HOW MUCH ENERGY CAN I SAVE BY TURNING DOWN MY THERMOSTAT ON WINTER NIGHTS?
A rule of thumb is that a two-degree reduction in the temperature setting on your furnace cuts energy use by 1%, the EPA says. Moreover, houses that are well sealed and insulated, including heat ducts, use less energy because the furnace doesn’t have to run as hard.
You might also consider replacing an old furnace. Replacing a 1980s furnace with an Energy Star model costing $4,000 could produce $3,269 in net savings for a New England family, according to an EPA calculator at energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=furnaces.pr_furnaces. The move would also cut lifetime carbon dioxide emissions by 96,450 pounds — equivalent to the output of a car for 10 years.
November 14 2007 | Green Trends and Green Lifestyle | No Comments »
How much energy do you save by switching light bulbs? Should you replace your refrigerator?
The Wall Street Journal’s Guide to Going Green answers these common questions. Some of the answers might surprise you.
Here’s a preview of Rebecca Smith’s article:
We hear the message day in and day out: It’s time to go green. But figuring out where to start can be daunting.
When you look for advice, you often find wildly impractical schemes about remaking your entire life to reduce your “carbon footprint.” Or you end up having to sort through heaps of perplexing statistics about power usage and efficiency.
Meanwhile, it can be tough to track down what most people actually need: a clear statement of the carbon consequences of, say, switching your light bulbs. And you’ll rarely find out if you’ll save enough on your energy bills to recover the cost of buying new appliances or changing your habits.
With that in mind, here are some answers to some commonly posed questions about what to do — and what not to do — to get greener.
Question 1: What are the simplest - and cheapest - things I can do to cut emissions?
Smith’s answer:
The most important thing to remember as you’re getting started is that you don’t have to change your whole life to make a difference.
“You can go crazy and get lost in the details and completely miss the point that every little bit helps,” says Carl Zichella, regional director in Sacramento, Calif., for the Sierra Club.
So where do you start? Here are just a handful of things that may be obvious — and yet so many people don’t do them. Heat or cool your home less. Drive or fly fewer miles. Run electrical equipment less and use less water since pumping water takes a lot of electricity. Buy more locally grown foods and goods that are manufactured nearby; they’re typically made with cleaner U.S. manufacturing processes, and companies use less fuel to transport them.
Plus, buy the most energy-efficient devices you can afford. For instance, look for appliances with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label. Since the program started in 1992, the EPA says, it has helped Americans save $14 billion on energy bills and cut emissions equivalent to those of 25 million vehicles. The EPA now includes more than four dozen types of products in the program, everything from DVD players to air conditioners.
In addition, the EPA has a useful calculator that allows you to create a customized plan for reducing your environmental impact.
Don’t worry - more questions and answers are to come.
November 14 2007 | General | No Comments »
America Recycles Day is Nov. 15.
Hundreds of events will be held across the United States to raise awareness about the importance of recycling at home and work and buying recycled products.
According to the National Recycling Coalition (NRC), 20 years ago, almost 1,000 curbside recycling programs existed in the U.S. Today, there are more than 10,000 curbside recycling programs across the nation, and Americans recycle 33 percent of their waste, a rate that has almost doubled in the past 15 years.
While the nation is doing better, is Chicago at the bottom of the heap?
A Chicago Sun-Times article addresses whether the city lags behind the rest of the country in recycling efforts.
November 14 2007 | Green Events | No Comments »
People across the nation are steadily becoming more interested in finding ways to buy local and organic produce. This week Chicago’s first permanent, year-round urban farm could make supporting local farmers a little easier.
Who: Growing Home, Alderman Toni Foulkes and Teamwork Englewood
What: Groundbreaking for Chicago’s First Permanent, Year-Round Urban Farm
When: Wednesday, November 14, 9:00 am
Where: Wood Street Urban Farm, 5814 S. Wood St., Chicago
Growing Home is a six-year old certified organic agricultural business with a social mission of providing transitional employment for homeless and low-income adults. Program participants are difficult-to-employ people, most of whom have criminal backgrounds.
The Wood Street Urban Farm is the third site for Growing Home, which also operates a 10-acre farm 75 miles southwest of Chicago at Marseilles, Illinois and a half-acre urban farm on the south side.
The new farm is a part of the larger Quality of Life Plan for the Englewood community, which calls for developing an Urban Agriculture District in Englewood that will lead to healthy and sustainable living among neighborhood residents.
According to the Growing Home website, the U.S. organic sector is expected to grow from $13 billion in 2003 to over $25 billion in 2007. However, less than 3 percent of organic produce available in Chicago is grown locally.
November 13 2007 | Green Trends and Green Lifestyle and Green Food and Green Farming and Green Events | No Comments »
Next »
